Originally founded in the City of Windsor in 1864 by the Community of Holy Names of Mary & Jesus, with a few nuns from Montreal. St. Mary’s Academy was originally located in downtown Windsor on Ouellette Ave. By the late 1920’s the Sisters had an old school building on very valuable land. The order sold the building and land to the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel Corporation, the land is now the site of the Canadian Tunnel Plaza. The original building was demolished in 1929.
The second St. Mary’s opened in 1928.
However the massive sprawling Gothic complex that was built in 1928 in South Windsor was an amazing structure.
Designed by a Sister from the order, not an architect, the massive building stood guard over south Windsor until April 1977. On the afternoon of April 29, Controlled Demolition Inc. (CDI), that same company that imploded Hudson’s, imploded St. Mary’s.
A lousy sub-division replaced the Majestic structure, the developer even called the sub-division “The Gates Of St. Mary’s”. Almost immediately the decision to demolish St. Mary’s was regretted, and that in turn help to turn some sympathies towards preservation.
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St Mary's gates can be found on Normandy Road in Lasalle. They are the gates at the enterence of Stoantis resedence of TBQ fame. The area has grown since so the address is past the 2000 number. The property is currently up for sale.
WOW ... so those hideous wrought iron gates were actually the gorgeous ones at St.Mary's? Amazing, but it makes pefect sense as the school sold off so much before it closed. Cabinets (2nd floor)at Willistead Manor and I "believe" the light fixtures in the Butlers Pantry. I remember talking to someone who had a section of balastard on their home staircase from the school. It is a shame this school wasn't kept - with irony Holy Names (in the former Centennial school) Now has "trailor styled" portables all over the lawn due to over-crowding. The four story St. Mary's could surely be in use today.
Sorry for posting again but, I just checked out google maps and I swear that the original Newel Posts were still located on ST. Mary's Drive until recently.
Chistopher: if you mean the brick pillars - they were rebuilt after the demolition. The contractor "accidently" oops! knocked the originals down. There was talk that they would use the original brick to build them back up at the time...not sure if they did.
i have a signed charcoal painting titled"le torrent" depicting a large and smaller caribou struggling in river rapids.the piece is dated april 22nd,1869 and signed by emily dupuy L'academie ste. marie windsor ontario.i am not sure if she was a student or one of the nuns instructing at that time.despite efforts i can not find a student list or student names from this period.it is a large and striking portrait well framed and under glass
I WAS A STUDENT AT ST MARY'S MANY YEARS AGO. I STARTED THERE IN THE FIRST GRADE. MY CLASSROOM WINDOWS WERE ON THE FRONT RIGHT OF THE FIRST FLOOR. THE SCHOOL UNIFORM SHOP WAS NEXT DOOR. JUST DOWN THE HALLWAY - ON THE RIGHT SIDE - TOWARDS THE GYM WAS THE BORDERS' PLAYROOM. I REMEMBER IT BEING FULL OF MADAME ALEXANDER DOLLS AND I SO ENVIED THE GIRLS WHO OWNED THEM. I WELL REMEMBER DEAD NUNS BEING LAID OUT IN OPEN COFFINS IN THE PARLOURS. ALL RATHER MACABRE WHEN ONE THINKS ABOUT THE ENTIRE SCHOOL BODY - GRADES 1 to 12 - BEING MARCHED PAST. THERE WAS ALWAYS AN UPSET STOMACH WHICH SET OFF A CHAIN REACTION.......!! I ALWAYS SMILE WHEN I THINK OF THE BIG HUMP - ALLEGEDLY THE BURIAL PLACE OF A NUN - ON THE FIRST FLOOR. WHAT A WONDERFUL PLACE ST MARY'S FLOORS WERE FOR SLIDING WHEN NO ONE WAS AROUND. THE MAGNIFICENT CHAPEL - THE GRAND STAIRCASE - 'THE' ELEVATOR - THE ATMOSPHERE - THE MYSTERY OF WHETHER OR NOT THE NUNS HAD HAIR - SO MANY WONDERFUL MEMORIES. I'M SO GRATEFUL I HAVE THEM TO TREASURE.
I attended the school for Grade 9, the very last year it was open before it was closed as a high school. I did not know it at the time, but I have come to regret that this fine school closed. I especially regret that the building was demolished. It most certainly was not unsafe in 1970, when I was a student. How nice that the developers saw fit to name the subdivision St. Mary's Gates. I'm being sarcastic. It was a fine school, offering the best in music training. We always know what we've got when it's gone. I wish I had been an activist before the demolition.
I had a fine view of the belfry of St. Mary's from my bedroom window. Something I used to aim my telescope at when not at the stars.
My father, may he rest in peace, was an activist who tried to save St. Mary's from demolition. Even my mother, who was not Catholic at that time, wrote to the Department of Defense that they might explore use of the building as a military academy. Dad was briefly interogated by the OPP as he picketed Premier Bill Davis while he visited Windsor.
My mother attended, graduated from St. Mary's and was on hand to see it destroyed with my father and brother. I can only imagine what it felt like to watch such a vital piece of your life be demolished in an explosion. It must have been heartbreaking.
Walking up Academy today I was a little bit shocked to see there is no historical marker there at the the former gates. With Windsor and Essex county so proud to show it's heritage through commemorative plaques, paintings on buildings and such I was really surprised there was no marker(s) at the "gates."
Nothing extreme is needed, just something simple that says, "St. Mary's Gates. Beyond these gates from "opening year" to 1977 once stood St. Mary's Academy." And then mention some facts about it ending with, "...until it was blown up in 1977."
With all the people throughout the city who were touched by the academy's presence I am sure it would not be too difficult to do.
Did anyone know in Windsor that the 'remains' of St.Mary's was dumped into the edge of the Detroit River? My parents and I came across that dump site accidently on a Sunday afternoon drive along a back road by the river in 1977. There were sections of the amazing stained glass window frames just laying there along the edge of the river bank.
My brother had gotten married in St.Mary's in 1973 and I think they were some of the school. But cannot find pictures of those windows ( my brother as since remarried and not sure where those photos have gone now)
Does anyone know of any photos of those windows?